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BCAA vs EAA: Which One is Better to Take?

What is the difference between BCAA's (Branched Chain Amino Acids) and EAA's (Essential Amino Acids)? And which one is better to take?This is really a trick question because the three BCAA’s (Leucine, Isoleucine, and Valine) are also three of the eight EAA's. So all BCAA's are EAA's, but not all EAA's are BCAA's.

Leucine, Isoleucine and Valine are called "branched chain" because unlike all the other amino acids, their physical structure is branched.

For example, here's a simple diagram of Leucine:

So if branch chain products are missing five of the eight essential amino acids the human body requires for strength and recovery, why would anyone take them?

Marketing!

Because the three BCAA’s are the most important for energy production and muscle metabolism, they were heavily promoted to the bodybuilding industry and they simply caught on. And taking a BCAA product can be beneficial.

But using only the three BCAA’s it is a lot like fielding a baseball team with only a shortstop, pitcher, and catcher. They may very well be the three most important positions, but you certainly can’t expect to win any game without the rest of the team.

It's important to note that a high-quality, clinically-proven EAA formula such as Core 4 Nutrition's FundAminoscontains 50% BCAA's and 50% of the other five, essential amino acids.

So it's a win-win!

Here is a quick refresher on why an EAA blend should be part of everyone’s nutritional support program.

Essential Amino Acids (EAA’s) are called "essential" because the body cannot make them; they must be obtained from food and/or supplement sources. Many of us don't eat enough EAA-rich foods, and many more don't absorb or utilize them well. As we age, the body's ability to extract the maximum nutrients from any protein source decline; and the excess calories in this protein can be stored as fat.

While bodybuilders popularized the use of "branched" EAA’s for muscular growth and maintenance, anyone can benefit from their use! EAA’s stimulate the production of cellular energy and promote cellular repair. They initiate the creation of the critical enzymes necessary for healthy (and complete) digestion. They are especially important for those who cope with any form of physical or mental stress including intensive training, injury, or surgery.

Because the effects of EAA's have been well-studied, they offer several, scientifically-proven benefits. We know that:

At Core 4 Nutrition, we take a great deal of pride in providing you with a select group of fundamental formulas that offer lasting health and performance benefits. Each and every product we sell has not only been tried, but scientifically tested for efficacy. Do your nutritional supplements actually work? There's no reason to guess when you can measure their physiological effects using a series of simple, at-home assessments. Proven results are the cornerstone of our company. You can read more about what makes us different than the rest here.

It was only when I left the full time practice of medicine almost 14 years ago that I truly became a doctor. While I was in practice, I was focused on attending to the more immediate needs of my patients and managing the day-to-day details of running an office than "doctoring" in the true sense of the word.

The word doctor means teacher. It is the agentive noun of the Latin verb docere (do-ke-re), which means to teach. The title of "doctor" is used to refer to anyone who is recognized to have acquired sufficient knowledge in a given subject to teach it. This explains why the highest educational degree that can be obtained is a "doctorate."

While I received the title of "Doctor of Medicine" upon graduating from medical school, I now consider myself more of a "Doctor of Optimal Health," which I earned through years of independent research and reading; by attending lectures and conferences; and by teaching thousands of people how to take charge of their own health and performance.

What does any of this have to do with a Facebook contest?

I am a frustrated teacher. While several thousand people will receive this blog post, less than 200 will see it on Facebook. I hope that this contest will motivate my readers to "like" the (relatively new) Core 4 Nutrition Facebook page so that I can have the opportunity to do what I love to do--teach.

While this blog post allows me to share some information, there are so many other stories, research articles, podcasts and blogs that I would like to share. I know that many of you would find this additional information of practical interest. That means you'll be able to use it to make your life better!

If you are an athlete, you are cheating yourself by not optimizing your nitric oxide (NO) level prior to training and competition.

Not an athlete? A high NO level is still a necessity for optimal health and well-being. It improves blood flow to the brain (promoting better focus and concentration); it improves sexual function and response (Cialis, Viagra, and Levitra all work by increasing the body's ability to utilize NO);and it can even slow down the process of aging(look for more on this topic in an upcoming post)....

Recent research provides further insights into the physiological importance of NO.

Previous studies report thatdietary nitrates increase skeletal muscle function during (endurance) exercise. David Poole and his colleagues from Kansas State University now report that, "nitrates in beetroot juice not only increased blood flow to the skeletal muscles during exercise by 38% but it was preferential to the less-oxygenated, fast-twitch muscles. The observation that dietary nitrate supplementation via beetroot juice improves metabolic control in fast twitch muscle provide a mechanism for the beetroot juice-induced improvements in high-intensity exercise performance seen in humans.”...

From as far back as ancient Rome, red beets have been cultivated for their health and performance-enhancing benefits. The most recent research has confirmed what many competitive athletes already know—that the dietary nitrates found in beets, freshly-juiced beets, and beet juice powders can improve their training, racing, and recovery results. It’s no wonder that beet-based supplements like Pure Clean Powder are quickly becoming the “go to” sports supplement among weekend warriors and top-notch professionals alike.

Because beets are a rich source of natural nitrates, they enhance the body’s ability to create nitric oxide. Nitric oxide relaxes the smooth muscle lining of the blood vessels, increasing blood flow and oxygen to an athlete’s hard-working muscles. And this translates into greater power, endurance, strength, and speed. Other proven benefits include:

A faster recovery following a hard, physical effort

Improved digestion, metabolism and elimination, which aid in weight loss

The scientific reality is that you can not come close to being optimally fit and health without the use of supportive, nutritional supplementation. You can take my word for it and stop here, or read on for the supporting evidence.

In theory, it makes sense that we SHOULD be able to rely on a healthy, varied diet to supply our bodies with all the necessary nutrients they need. It’s pretty clear that this was Mother Nature’s original plan. And for the majority of our human existence, we have been able to satisfy our innate, nutritional needs with food.

But relatively recent modifications in the way our food supply is grown and managed have drastically reduced the quality—and variety—of what we eat. When combined with the proliferation of pesticides, herbicides, and other health-depleting toxins, we are facing a ‘perfect storm’ of factors that make it impossible for ANYONE to achieve an optimal level of health and fitness without taking nutritional supplements.

There have been a multitude of post-industrial-revolution changes that affect the way we, as modern humans, work, live, and eat. Paramount among these is the shift from the growth of local, sustainable foods to industrialized agribusiness. We are now living in a world where foods that cannot be sourced to their point of origin (they are not certified as organic, you didn’t buy them directly from a farmer or grow them yourself) are likely to be genetically modified, grown in nutrient-poor soil, and treated with toxic chemicals...